2013 Tour of Qatar

Mark Cavendish Wins 2013 Tour of Qatar

Americans Brent Bookwalter and Taylor Phinney round out the podium

afp/bicycling.com

(Photo by Mark Cavendish won four consecutive stages on his way to victory at the Tour of Qatar. (Tim De Waele))

DOHA, Feb 8, 2013 (AFP) - Isle of Man racer Mark Cavendish, of the Omega Pharma–Quick-Step team, sealed overall victory at the Tour of Qatar on Friday after winning the sixth and final stage on the Doha Corniche.

The 2011 world champion won the 116.5-kilometer ride from Sealine Beach to Doha in a sprint finish ahead of Yauheni Hutarovich of Belarus and Barry Markus of the Netherlands. It was Cavendish's eighth win in total on the Tour of Qatar, and his fourth in as many days.

"I'm over the moon," said Cavendish, who also wins the race points jersey and praised his teammates for helping him in his push to victory. "We come here every year almost guaranteed an overall victory with Tom Boonen, but he's recovering from an injury. So it put a little bit of pressure on me and I was a bit nervous. But I'm really happy to get the win. The guys worked incredible here. They really looked after me so, so well here and delivered every single day. "I am so happy and proud I can bring it home again for the team again."

Cavendish finished ahead of two American riders from the BMC team, Brent Bookwalter and Taylor Phinney, who emerged with the jersey for the best young rider.

No rider had ever won four consecutive stages of the Tour of Qatar. Belgium's Tom Boonen, a four-time winner of the race, won four stages in 2007, but not all in succession. He was unable to defend his title this year due to an elbow injury.